Part 22 (1/2)
After the party had broken up, Captain Nelson took Terence to Mr. Villiers, who, on reading the general's letter and hearing from Terence how Romana was situated, at once said that he would hand over to him 20,000 dollars to take to the Spanish general.
”How am I to carry it, sir? It will be of considerable weight, if it is in silver.”
”I will obtain for you four good mules,” Mr. Villiers said, ”and an escort of twelve Portuguese cavalry under an officer.”
”May I ask, sir, that the money shall be packed in ammunition-boxes, and that no one except the officer shall know that these contain anything but ammunition?”
”You have no great faith in Portuguese honesty, Mr. O'Connor.”
”As to their honesty as a general thing, sir, I express no opinion,” Terence said, bluntly; ”as to the honesty of their political partisans, I have not a shadow of belief. Moreover, there is no love lost between them and the Spaniards, and though possibly money for any of the Portuguese leaders might be allowed to pa.s.s untouched by others--and even of this I have great doubt--I feel convinced that none of them would allow it to go out of the country for the use of the Spaniards if they could lay hold of it by the way.”
”Those being your sentiments, sir, I think that it is a pity the duty is not intrusted to some officer of broader views.”
”I doubt whether you would find one, sir; especially if he has, like myself, been three or four months in the country. I have simply accepted the duty, and not sought it, and should gladly be relieved of it. General Romana sent me here with a despatch, and it is my duty, unless General Cradock chooses another messenger, to carry back the reply, and anything else with which I may be intrusted. I have for the past three months been incessantly engaged on arduous and fatiguing duty. I have ridden for the last nine days by some of the worst roads to be found in any part of the world, I should say, and have before me the same journey. Besides, if I receive the general's orders to that effect, I may have to stay with the Spanish general, and in that case shall, I am sure, be constantly upon the move, and that among wild mountains. If this treasure is handed over to me I shall certainly do my best to take it safely and to defend it, if necessary, with my life; but it is a.s.suredly a duty of which I would gladly be relieved. But that, sir, it seems to me, is a question solely for the commander-in-chief.”
Mr. Villiers gazed in angry surprise at the young ensign; then thinking, perhaps, that he would put himself in the wrong, and as his interferences in military matters with Sir John Cradock had not met with the success he desired for them, he checked the words that rose to his lips, and said, shortly: ”The convoy will be ready to start from the treasury at daybreak to-morrow.”
”I shall be there--if so commanded by General Cradock.”
As soon as they had left the house Captain Nelson burst into shout of laughter.
”What is it?” Terence asked, in surprise.
”I would not have missed that for twenty pounds, O'Connor; it is the first bit of real amus.e.m.e.nt I have had since I landed. To see Villiers-- who regards himself as the greatest man in the country, who not only thinks that he regulates every political intrigue in Spain and Portugal, but a.s.sumes to give the direction of every military movement also, and tries to dictate to the general on purely military matters--quietly cheeked by an ensign, is the best thing I ever saw.”
”But he has nothing to do with military matters, has he?”
”No more than that mule-driver there, but he thinks he has; and yet, even in his own political line, he is the most ill-informed and gullible of fools, even among the ma.s.s of incompetent agents who have done their utmost to ruin every plan that has been formed. I doubt whether he has ever been correct in a single statement that he has made, and am quite sure that every prophecy he has ventured upon has been falsified, every negotiation he has entered into has failed, and every report sent home to government is useful only if it is a.s.sumed to be wrong in every particular; and yet the man is so puffed up with pride and arrogance that he is well-nigh insupportable. The Spaniards have fooled him to the top of his bent; it has paid them to do so. Through his representations the ministry at home have distributed millions among them. Arms enough have been sent to furnish nearly every able-bodied man in Spain, and harm rather than good has come of it. Still, he is a very great man, and our generals are obliged to treat him with the greatest civility, and to pretend to give grave consideration to the plans that, if they emanated from any other man, would be considered as proofs that he was only fit for a mad-house. And to see you looking calmly in his face and announcing your views of the Spanish and Portuguese was delightful.” And Captain Nelson again burst into laughter at the recollection.
Terence joined in the laugh. ”I had no intention of offending him,” he said. ”Of course I have often heard how he was pressing General Moore to march into Spain, and promising that he should be met by immense armies that were eager and ready to drive the French out of that country, and were only waiting for his coming to set about doing so. I know that the brigadier and his staff used to talk about what they called Villiers' phantom armies, but as I only said what everyone says who has been in Spain, it never struck me that I was likely to give him serious offence.”
”And if you had thought so, I don't suppose it would have made any difference, O'Connor.”
”I don't suppose it would,” Terence admitted; ”and perhaps it will do him good to hear a straightforward opinion for once.”
”It will certainly do him no harm. Now, you had better tell the chief that you are to have the money. I should think that he will probably send a trooper with you as your orderly. Certainly, he has no reason to have a higher opinion of the Portuguese than you have.”
”I will go back with you, Captain Nelson; but as you were present, will you kindly tell the general? I don't like bothering him.”
”Certainly, if you wish it.”
On arriving at head-quarters Terence sat down in the anteroom and took up an English paper, as he had heard no home news for the last three months. Presently Captain Nelson came out from the general's room and beckoned to him. He followed him in. Four or five officers of rank were with the general, and all were looking greatly amused when he entered.
”So you have succeeded in obtaining money for Romana,” the general said.
”Yes, sir, there was no difficulty about it. Mr. Villiers asked me a few questions as to the situation on the frontier, and at once said that I should have 5,000 to take him.”
”Captain Nelson tells us that you were unwise enough to express an opinion as to the honesty of the Portuguese escort that he proposed to send with you.”
”I said what I thought, General, and had no idea that Mr. Villiers would take it as an offence, as he seemed to.”